Huron Expositor, 2000-02-02, Page 5Agriculture
Seaforth Growing Project gets
ready for 2000 crop of soybeans
By Scott Hilgsndorff
Eitposea Edna.
With about six weeks until spring. the Seaforth- Growing
Pulver is starting fund raising for this year'':_ Canadian Food
Grams Bank project.:
``' We arc getting ready for the 2000 crop -which is - going to
•./thcans.' said GerryVan den Hcngcl of the loeal pnryect
that. grow s r1►►�d fair CEGB which is then distrihuted to
c.'unincs in need around the world.
Last year. sheat was grown for the project and 'with,
depressed prices this season. they are waiting for .the final
payment on the crop hut expect it to have generated about-
s?S.1Ami..with almost -S .(XX) more •coming from the sale- of.
straw from the stte.-
H,ovse'cr. after expenses. such as ahoutS.t2.000 for rent of
the 9_ acres .of land used cast of Seaforth.. then factoring the-'
ash donations of more than S.10.000 -last year: the group
hopes to have raised about S26.(KX) forCFGB.
The project •is coordinated by a eaommittee of
representatives from seven !twat churches that look after the
pmiect from deciding v?hat to ui plant each year to when it
Should he harvested.-- •:. .
To•offset the cost of production. the work•is:done by
volunteers. companies. donate some of the -seed and donations
are ciillected. largely through the local churches: - -• •
Last year. a team of arca t farmers harvested 9.5 1 hushels of
wheig with nine combines running together. •
"MI the work has been donated out there -.All" the seeding.
'cultivating and plowing is donated by area farmers:- said Van:
den. Henget._ '
This month. he said they are expecting to begin fund raising.
for this- year\ .project. through the churches to•he ahte to hug
the remainder of the seed that isn't -donated and to help pay_. for
such pans of the protect as.the rent on the land.
Province consults local farmers, residents
on effects of intensive livestock operations
By Gprl Stavros
Winton News Recad-Sto1
Consultation being held
by the province on the effects
intensive • livestock_
tanning made a stop. in
Clinton late •last month to
hear the opinions of•residerits
m Ontano"s most productive
agricultural .counts
Parliamentary .Assistants
' Doug Galt and Toby Barrett.
%sho are conducting the
province -Wide meeting, were,
told •, that" :large scale
agriculturaloperations
specifically . livestock.. se a
significant threat. to Huron .
Counts s env ironrnental
sell being.
In a dater'-- inter'yiew.
PROTECT t Presenting
Recommendations on.
Tow-nship.Env ironmental
Concerns --Together .member
Francis Hogan stated that in
their. presentationi to the
- MPPs. the organization
. called fora 'moratorium to be
placed "on the construction of
new:'tntensix:e operation
barns until the province can
legislate regulations for the
sale storage and disposal of
..the -vast quantities of�manure. .
produced -by this type of
farming.
"We u ould like to see
more- stringent regulations,
zeroing .in on the. storage Of:
:liquid manure said the
Lucknovv. area . farmer
According to PROTECT. •
manure management plans
have: been enacted in .some
. municipalrnes in the counts,.
but in most case, are based -
on"soluntary compliance.
Manure management plans
offer farmers- information
and recommendations on the
- amriunt of manure which can
be safely distributed over a
given area .of land,
The 'storage tanks that hold
liquid. manure produced bs
intensive . Irs estock-
,rperatums are of primary,
env ironmental concern to
PROTECT Leak; from the
underground tanks that hold
user _40 days' of waste can
be potentially drsastat)ng to'
the county's water .stipply "
Hogan explained that the •
stored liquid. manure is oxer.
� r
' r! • .!!" . , . -41
95 pet cent. water. As a
result: severe environmental
damage to the aquifer could
• occur within minutes if a
tank wase- leaking. Spreading
animal produced fertilizer
onto the field also poses a
.similar risk . due to the
--liquidity of the waste. The
problem that arises with large
scale livestock operations is.
-in many cases. the waste
produced is much greater
that the land can sustain.
.Combined with the high
expense of trucking away the
,manure; Hogan: said this
places 'the farmer in a
difficult position -as
overfertilization becomes an
`vjable option. This factor
puts .at risk not. only the
pollution levels of_"Lake
Huron. he stated. but also the
drinking water in.shallow
and deep wells. -
By not regulating the
construction -and inspection
of the storage tanks. Hogan
warned, that the door is left
- open for environmental
dainage that could cause fish
kills and the beach closings
that were common lash
summer.
"Lake Huron beaches are-
•hecottiing quite polluted." he
explained citing, "(In the past
few years) they have been
closed 30 per rent, of the
This trend is troubling to
the county - 's •lucrative -
tourism -industry. •Grand
Bend Councillor flob Mann.
expressed the village's
concern that intensive
livestocjs operations threaten
other aspects of,Ontario's
Westcoast:
"W.e can't afford to have
intensive agriculture take
pre-eminence over all others
who work to make this
county great." Mann said in
the London Free Press.
Even more -troublesome to
-PROTECT than the lack -of
regulations is the inability of
goseminent.. to enforce the
regulations that do exist. -
explained Hogan: •
The, Huron Counts
_Federation of Agriculture
( HCFA) echoed PROTECTS
call for enforcement:
Ai.though representatives
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of the co•unts-'s farming
population expressed their
opinion- that there is. no need
for regulations or the
creationof more
bureaucracy. the HCFA
stated that action rrtust be
taken • against . repeat
offenders.
"The main point the
:meeting) v. as 'on record
mans times
overfertilization would -cause
ppollution problems said
HCFA Vice -President Neil
Vincent. adding that farriers
depend on the: land and
environment. for : their
livelihood and need to treat it
accordingly. However in
their -presentation to the
governmental panel. HCFA
representatives. stated that
creation of codes of conduct.
regular inspection of
intensive operation facilities
and nutrient management
plans should be. enacted. -
province wide. v. ith room for
municipal customization.
Moreimportantly. the HCFA
requested that ` the
-government assume.- the
responsibility for deterring ,
environmentally. unsafe:'
farming practices. '
"There should be a way of
enforcing (that would:
:penalize) people or
companies that routinei'y
make mistakes." Vincent
said. The. HCFA suggested
fines on an incremental scale.
based on previous offemeS.
Although Vincent
acknowledged carelessness.
in the application of fertilizer
can lead to pollution.
problems, he stated the
majority of farmers do
comply to the effective
nutrient management ply
ns
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Vincent said the current
pians should be used as'a .
basis in the -creation of
legislation.. `
Both Vincent' and Hogan_
agreed: that 'there is a
necessity for_gosernmental
involvement and the hearings
are a- step: in the right
direction.. - `"
"The federation does:•not
want to -see:polluting tci.
become a -cost of doing
business -Vincent -
concluded. t ,
Ontario -Ministry of Food.
Agriculture and Rural Affairs
t OMAFRA ): reppresentati ye
for Clinton. and -area Dars
Ball also" attended the
information gathering
session at the Legion. He
d;
statethat he Woad- tike to
see. the various factions
develop an understanding of.
each other's situation from
the meeting. He hopes that .
OLIAFRA can help bring the
opposing • sides . closer
together. but =said.. "There are
no easy answers.
• The information gathering
sessions :moved . on "t
Orangeville from Clinton
-and will wrap up with a
teleconference with Northern
Ontario farmers on Jan. 31
Written submissions are -
being accepted until Feb. 15.
Letters can be sent to 'Dr.
Doug Galt. Parliamentary
Assistant. Consultation on
intensive Agricultural
Operations, Ontario Ministry
of Food. Agriculture and
Rural Affairs.,l Stone Road
West. Guelph. On:. N.10.
442
THE NtM1111 IXPOISROR, February 2, 2000-5
•
t
Financial Workshop & Tradeshow
for
FARM FAMILIES
Featuring Bfoarflaster.kevin Stewart
Producer of the TV Serie.' AigVision... (:F-PI..I.on•Ion
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Estate Preservation: keeping the farm in the family
Financing the Farm Transfer: (:reativr (;rrdit Option,
Risk Management Strategies: Preparing for the unexpected
Date: February 15 Atwood Hall
.Registration 9:00 am
Program Begins 9:311 am - -ldjourn. i:U0 pm
:Ticket,: availahtefrom your 1•t•<a1
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angry students joined community members in a Main Street
protest against possible high school closure. A decision not to
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